North American Bus Industries Recalls Transit Buses Due to Fire Risk
North American Bus Industries is recalling specific transit buses because a battery equalizer component may conduct electricity and cause a fire.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (electrical system) that creates a risk of fire, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe rating.
Plain-English summary
North American Bus Industries (NABI) is recalling certain model year 2000-2011 LFW, CLFW, and BRT buses, 2007-2009 Blue Bird L4RE buses, and 2000-2009 Optima Opus buses. These vehicles are equipped with Sure Power battery equalizers that contain a specific epoxy sealing compound.
The recall is being issued because the specific potting compound used for insulation in these equalizers was found to be capable of conducting electricity after exposure to heat. Once electrically conductive, the material can melt and burn, which increases the risk of a fire.
NABI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the equalizers free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on January 27, 2014. Owners may contact NABI at 1-256-831-4296 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
The recalled product
- Product
- OPTIMA, NABI, BLUE BIRD OPUS, LFW, CLFW, BRT
- Brand
- OPTIMA
- Manufacturer
- North American Bus Industries, Inc.
- Category
- Vehicle — Transit Bus
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 4,061
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (5)
- OPUS
- LFW
- CLFW
- BRT
- L4RE
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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